Ensworth Coffee Talk

We are back and guess what….. it is officially spring and the weather is finally cooperating!  We hope everyone had a wonderful spring break with plenty of time to relax and be with your family. Typically our new faculty features take place at the beginning of the school year, but today we are excited to introduce our new Director of Annual Fund and Stewardship, Leigh Ivey. Find out why this face  might look very familiar to many of you.

Leigh, many people in the community know you well being that you are an alum from the Ensworth class of 2001. So the question on everyone’s mind is……were you an orange or a black?

We Iveys are very proud Oranges

What were some of the traditions at Ensworth that really stuck with you long after your days here?

Obviously Orange/Black. The tradition strengthens a student’s sense of belonging to the Ensworth community, but also transcends the generational divide—I’ve met people my parents’ age who can still tell you exactly who in their graduating class belongs to which team (I’m pretty confident I could do the same for mine!). That’s pretty special.

Apparently the dress code (which pre-dates the current school uniforms) also stuck with me, as another Ensworth alumna pointed out when she ran into me years after I graduated. Ensworth made me a big fan of collared shirts with sleeves, tucked into bottoms of one of four solid (and this part is crucial—no patterns were allowed) colors: black, navy, khaki and gray.

I think one of the greatest traditions Ensworth has is the unique relationship between faculty and students. I didn’t realize until later how rare it is to find teachers who are as invested in the growth and success of their students, both in and out of the classroom, as the faculty at Ensworth.

What would you say is your biggest goal as the new Director of Annual Fund and Stewardship?

First and foremost, getting to know all the students, their families, and current faculty and staff. I am so thrilled to be back at Ensworth and can’t wait to be fully immersed in the life of the school. My biggest goal in the role of Director of Annual Fund and Stewardship is to find a way to meaningfully express our appreciation for gifts of all sizes—and to stress the importance of them! Every single contribution to the Annual Fund, be it $5 or $5000, is significant and we are truly thankful for them. I realize now that so much of what I enjoyed in my time as a student at Ensworth would not have been possible without the generosity of our donors.

What is it about Ensworth that sets it apart and makes it such a special place?

We talk a lot about the idea of the “Ensworth Family” and it absolutely exists. This is an incredible community of people—past, present and future—who rally to support and celebrate one another

If you could be a fly on the wall in any classroom which one would it be?

This is so tough! Lately I’ve been missing Ms. Smith’s second grade classroom and not just because I need to work on my cursive, which I do. I would love to go back and learn from her again. The same goes for all my old teachers. I ran into Jim Miller at lunch today and he invited me to sit in on one of his classes—I’m going to take him up on it, too! It will be my first class at the high school!